U.S. Pat. No. 1,345,942 issued Jul. 6, 1920 discloses a lightweight roller valve lifter having a cylindrical hollow body slotted to receive a roller rotatable on a shaft carried in legs separated by the roller slot. The roller diameter is larger than the body and is guided by a surrounding slotted sleeve acting as a tappet guide that is fixed to the engine crankcase and prevents cocking of the roller relative to its actuating cam. The shaft is retained in openings of the legs by the tappet guide.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,267 issued Nov. 4, 1980 discloses a hydraulic roller valve lifter having a roller/shaft assembly bottom loaded into slots in spaced struts. The shaft has flats that engage slots in the struts that retain the shaft against lateral or rotational motion, bent tangs retaining the shaft in the slots. The lifter guide bore is formed in the engine block and is larger than the roller diameter. Cocking of the roller is prevented by flats (not described) on the lifter body which are commonly used in current lifters.
It is desired to provide a hydraulic roller valve lifter with a lighter body of smaller diameter than the roller which retains its original size. Installation from the roller end of the lifter must be retained and means for avoiding cocking of the roller and rotation of the roller shaft must be provided.